Romans 15:4 "For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope."
2 Corinthians 1:5-7 " For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort."
Today's blog is about enduring strife a little longer than expected. Sometimes we think, I'll get through this first hurdle and then all will be okay. Yet, the second and third hurdles are right there close behind for us to jump over. While many of us wrongfully believed this coronavirus was going to be a 2 to 3 week inconvenience, it has skyrocketed into so much more. It's affecting our plans, emotions, finances and the way we think. "In this particular disorienting season, we may feel abandoned, alone, and forgotten by God. The pandemic feels too big. Even as we go through our own losses, anxiety, or pain, we lament the situations of people experiencing poverty or displacement. As with all of the trials we walk through, He makes use of these experiences to sanctify and lead us closer to Himself. The desert will either draw us deeper into the story of a good God or cause us to turn our backs in favor of our own kingdoms of control. Our temptation is always to bypass suffering, to get the good life without pain." [intouch.org]
2 Timothy 4:5-8 " But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing."
"There was no better man than Paul to give advice about endurance under suffering for the Lord Jesus. Paul had been imprisoned, beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, hungry, cold, and destitute. In spite of all this and more, Paul managed to endure the suffering, finish the race, and keep the faith. Hardships come in a variety of ways. Temptations, illnesses, lost jobs, broken relationships, and persecution for one’s faith are all forms of hardship. Christians should not be taken by surprise when hardships come: Jesus warned us, “In this world you will have trouble”. The good news is that Jesus followed up His warning with this word of encouragement: “But take heart! I have overcome the world.” We can endure by His grace. To endure is more than just continuing to exist; it is continuing to exist in the same manner as before the suffering began. To “endure” does not mean simply to grin and bear it. Christians will feel sad, betrayed, or even angry at times. These emotions in and of themselves are not bad; they only become sin when we allow them to take root in our lives and produce bitterness, evil thoughts of revenge, or unforgiveness. Believers must remember that everything that comes into our lives is under the control of a sovereign God who has promised He is working all things out for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose." [gotquestions.org]
As for myself, I have endured hardship and been on death's doorstep [more thn once], but God has given me joy through it all, taught me so much about dependence on Christ alone, has continued to use me for His glory and not called me home yet. In 2010, I was sick with a bad respiratory infection. It was a Monday afternoon, when I went to see my doctor. He got me in for one of the last procedures of that day at the hospital for a bronchoscopy by him. A bronchoscopy is where they go down into your lungs and suck stuff out. I've had this before for inhaled food, fluid and infection. This time, I had the procedure and after a short wait, I told my doctor I was okay and good to go home. Are you sure? Yes! Well, on the ride home I started feeling the need to cough. By the time, I got home I was doing all my cough methods to no avail. I was trying to get okay quickly because we had bible study group led by Grace Mayo at 6pm. As people started arriving, I was getting worse. Lisa Gwin helped direct our traffic, as the ambulance came to get me. The saline used to help flush out my lungs was now compromising my ability to breathe. Even with my mask and sitting straight up, my parents and Charlene said I was gray-looking all night. A family friend and pastor at the time, Mike Haigh, came to my bedside and read Scriptures of comfort to me. Many thought, including me, that my time up might be nearer than we wanted. Hearing the promises of God and what we, as believers, have to look forward to is a soothing way to remind one that God is right there with you. God pulled me through it by giving my doctor wisdom, so much prednisone that I was awake for 5 days straight, and strength for 10 days in the hospital.
I share this story to encourage each of you through the hardship you may feel from the coronavirus. In your anious moments, remind yourself that God is with you always, turn to Scripture verses that comfort you, and trust in God's timing and control over it all.
Isaiah 40:29 "He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak."
